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Underwood
=Overview= Key Features: Strip Malls, Ponds, Cheap Rent, Authentic Chinese Food, and... a quiet place to raise children? Underwood looks like any Joe-Schmoe Suburban area, with wide strip malls featuring Starbucks and local venues, and an over-abundance of grocery stores and Target-like structures. Apartments are cheap, and are usually interspersed between several houses. Most people in Underwood drive, even though the FCMT makes traveling not-so-bad, even if it's suburbia. Things within Underwood that are a seven minute drive take thirty minutes by bus, and are not easily accessed late, but things in Fall City from Underwood usually only take ten to twenty-five, depending on how far downtown one wants to go, and via which method. (For instance, a bus, risking traffic, will take ten minutes without it to get downtown; the orange line, always avoiding traffic, always takes twenty-five minutes.) =Underwood Major Locations= Stephanie Cruiser High School Some say it looks like a jail. The slender, thin, repeated windows with the grid-work introduced between two layers of plexiglas; the red brick facade; the slanted, black metal roof; the sullen expression of the students trotting in and out of classes... how could they think it looked like a jail, honestly? Known for moderate academics and moderate after school activities, the not-jail of Stephanie Cruiser High is your PCs' only option for High School. Ages 14-20 attend here, with 19-20 in specialty "pre-req" certification programs. Underwood Technical College Don't be misled by the name! It's not really a college, but a collection of any and all technical schools your character might want to go to. Wanna be a social worker? a publisher? a mechanic? Go here, not Fall City University, and save a dime! Its short, brown buildings, slanted white roofs and wide, open windows are definitely not jail-like, but probably not much different in feel than Stephanie Cruiser High. There's a courtyard, though, with thieving squirrels. Underwood WifiCafe (Chibi) run by: Alison Koch (PC) (DROPPED) and NPC best friend David Note: The cafe is closed as of March 29th due to a swamp drake attack and the disappearance of the owner. The name isn't very creative, but it gets the point across, which is what Alison and David were going for. The cafe has a homey atmosphere consisting of earthy tones, folk music, and fresh baked goods. It employs two bakers who prepare their goods on a daily basis, throughout the day as required, ensuring freshest quality of their products as per Alison's strict guidelines. The recipes are all of Alison's creation, and she even tests all the coffees and teas before offering them to her patrons. It serves a variety of baked goods, from coffee cakes to pastries, desserts of all sorts, and even a few select savoury pastries, such as ham and cheese or a ground beef and onion stuffing. Coffees include everything from your plain old coffee or double-brewed, to cappuccino, latte, and espresso, as well as chilled varieties, such as iced cap or even an espresso milkshake. There is less variety for tea, which she only provides to make the tea-drinkers happy, but they are still very high-scale quality, as she won't skimp on quality even if she may skimp on variety. The furnishings consist of light-toned wooden tables and chairs with crimson cushioning, booths along the walls and smaller two-seat tables across the floor, and a few stools at the counter. The walls are lined with hand-woven tapestries of goat hair or wool, all crafted by Alison, in various earthy tones, some of them showing scenes of Bedouin society, others simply decorative patterns. A variety of display options are employed for the delicious delectables, from clear-covered cake trays for cookies or donuts to a display case for muffins and pastries, with a behind-the-counter shelving system to store the majority of their treats. The place is kept very clean, following guidelines set out by Alison that are stricter than the code for such a business. Music consisting of folk instruments such as fiddle, flute, windpipes, drums, and others, plays through the sound system, kept low volume, with two viewscreens at either end of the counter showing music videos. All of the music comes in video format and is stored on bluray, allowing those who wish to watch the videos while enjoying their coffee or pastry, and others to ignore it entirely and focus instead on the cafe's true purpose: as a wifi hotspot. So long as customers purchase drink or pastries, the can remain within the building to access the internet, and the prices are not so out of reach as to make it unaffordable to those with less funds. In fact, prices are fairly reasonable - Alison doesn't believe in overcharging, and charges enough to make a profit with David while paying employees without having to gouge their customers. Employees include: Two bakers, four waitstaff, Alison, and David. The cafe is open late into the wee hours of the morning before closing at around 2am, opening again that morning at 10am. Shifts allow for enough sleep between closing and opening, Alison often opening while David closes with their shifts overlapping. The bakers get off at 10pm, and the waitstaff take alternate day shifts throughout the week. Occasionally Indie Star Sasha And plays a night at the cafe, but it’s often random and she sings strange songs about croissants. The Ramsden Shops (Mini) Chester's A lunch and dinner restaurant located on the corner of 5th St. and Acorn Ave. It is owned by the youngest of the Ramsden siblings -- you guessed it -- Chester. The menu consists of dishes he enjoyed while traveling and mingling with the locals. To them he changes little, and for that the tastes of the dishes he serves are praised as authentic. Many refer to it as the international comfort food restaurant of Underwood. Ramsden's Custom Tailoring A custom clothier and tailor shop owned by twin sisters April and May Ramsden (so named because one was born April 30th, 11:58pm, and the second May 1st, 12:01am), located on 6th St., opposite Chester's. Their turn-over time is decent, but you can take confidence in the fact that they'll give your order all the attention it deserves. Ramsden's Metalworks A custom metalwork jewelry shop owned by Cassie and Lily Ramsden, the eldest two sisters of the Ramsden siblings, located on 6th St., next to Ramsden's Custom Tailoring. They're known for their whimsical and intricate designs, as well as their affordable prices for simpler pieces. They also take on jewelry restoration and repair, though their prices can be on the high side compared to other shops. "Quality" was drilled into the Ramsden's upbringing, though, so you can be sure that your valued pieces are in good hands, and if they feel that they can't do anything for it, they'll tell you. The business was originally owned by George Ramsden, their father, but he has since retired. Ramsden's Last, but certainly not least, is Ramsden's, the first business opened and owned by a Ramsden, located on 8th St. A sewing and knitting materials store, Ramsden's has been passed down three generations and has come to rest in the knobbly hands of Audrey Ramsden, mother of the entrepreneurs mentioned above. Beginners and experts alike will find something to busy their fingers with in Audrey's inventory, and she is open to taking custom orders, too. Audrey is always in shop, choosing to do the bulk of the work herself, though she does have a few employees. Since retiring, George has taken residence in Ramsden's as well. It's a common sight to see Audrey knitting behind the register with George on the side, reading or knitting as well, another testament to the fact that an old dog can learn new tricks.